The Career Development Program is designed to provide training and guidance for academic physicianscientists, clinician-investigators and laboratory-based scientists who wish to dedicate their efforts to translational research in the area of diagnosis, prevention and treatment of head and neck cancer. In order to meet this goal, the Career Development Program has developed these specific objectives: 1) To recruit and train physicians, scientists and senior postdoctoral fellows to become outstanding translational investigators in the field of head and neck cancer; 2) To educate awardees in the basic principles of cancer biology, at both the molecular and cellular level, with an emphasis on translational science; 3) To provide a firm foundation for awardees in the specific area of head and neck cancer biology, laboratory, clinical and epidemiologic evaluation; and 4) To guide awardees through the development process of becoming effective head and neck cancer translational researchers. Since its inception in 2002, the Career Development Program (CDP) has funded 11 Career Development recipients, including the following: Erich M. Sturgis, M.D.; Edward S. Kim, M.D.; Christopher J. Barnes, Ph.D.; Abhijit Mazumdar, Ph.D.; AnneTsao, M.D.; F. Christopher Holsinger, M.D.; Ho-Young Lee, Ph.D., David L. Schwartz, M.D.; Naijie Jing, M.D.; and Michael Kupferman, M.D; and, most recently, Seetharaman Balasenthil, Ph.D. Dr. Ho-Young Lee serves as an excellent example of the early success of this program, as reflected by her contributions to this HN SPORE renewal application in the development of a major research project proposed in this application, Project 4 (Project Co-Leaders, Bonnie S. Glisson, M.D., and Ho-Young Lee, PhD) In response to concerns raised in our previous review, we are pleased to note that Dr. Jeffrey N. Myers (Professor and Chair, Department of Head and Neck Surgery) and Dr. Kie-Kian Ang (Professor and Head of Head and Neck Radiation Oncology, Department of Radiation Oncology) have enthusiastically agreed to co-lead this important program, bringing outstanding translational research and mentoring experience. We are also pleased to note the inclusion of Dr Elizabeth Travis, Associate Director, Women Faculty Programs, MDACC, as a new internal advisor for the career development and promotion of women faculty in this program.